Are you teaching your salespeople to THINK?

Tired of having the same conversation with your salespeople over & over & over again? What if you consider changing tactics and teaching your salespeople to THINK – instead of telling them what to do?

Here are a few things that are important to walk through/talk through, as you’re teaching someone how to think:
* the WHY behind it
* the HOW to do it
* the WHAT will get in your way
* the FEAR of the new/unknown/untried

If you are new to this idea – of teaching your salespeople how to think – you might need to walk yourself through those steps before you change your ways…

* WHY teach them how to think:
Take a moment to ponder what you will gain from teaching your salespeople how to think. If you don’t understand what you will gain, the difficulty of changing your existing habits will not be worth it – then tomorrow (or even later today) you’ll go back to the old way.

One thing I believe teaching salespeople critical thinking skills will do for each and every sales leader is that you free up time. How does that work? Well, instead of coming to you for every situation the people on your team will begin to recognize similarities between different selling scenarios. This recognition will allow them to use skills and tools they’ve already mastered. Moving forward in the sales process without needing your intervention.

* HOW to get salespeople to think:
This is the same for you as it is for the people on your team!

Step one – believe they have the skills to both THINK and DO whatever it is you’re talking about.
Step two – stop telling them what you know worked for you.
Step three – ask them what they think will work.
Step four – talk about what result they believe they will get with their idea.
Step five – discuss ways to make it better.
Step six – let them go do it.
Step seven – debrief.

* WHAT will get in YOUR way:
The two things that I’ve found get in a sales managers way are.

FIRST – “I don’t have time for this”
SECOND – “I don’ believe they have good ideas”

Of course you need to evaluate what you’re obstacles will actually be, those two are to get you thinking!

* the FEAR of the new/unknown/untried:
Anytime you are trying out a new skill or idea, there is something inside of you that may hold you back. Here are three “what if” thoughts that one of my coaching clients shared with me.
1. … it is worse than what I use to do?
2. … if I can’t get it to work?
3. … they see me as a fraud?

Make sure you go through your fears, the more extroverted you are – the more likely you will need someone you know and trust to say them out loud to (sometimes that is enough to banish them). Determine if your fears are “false evidence appearing real” or as Leanna Cruz puts it “an insecure view of the future.”

Now that you have gone through the process yourself, it will be easier to walk your salespeople through it!

photo credit © Andre Klopper | Dreamstime Stock Photos